AOL signs up record number on Christmas
Bucking the dot-com malaise, America Online Inc. reported Tuesday that it signed up a record number of new subscribers on Christmas Day while its members spent a whopping $4.6 billion online during the holiday season.

Ford to offer tire warranties to track defects
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is now offering tire warranties on its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models as a way to alert itself to problems like those that led to last year's Firestone recall.

Briefcase
International trade activity in Florida rose 15.3 percent in the third quarter of 2000, compared with the same period a year ago, according to the Wachovia Florida World Trade Index. Trade activity -- exports plus imports -- in the third quarter totaled $18.8 billion.

She's driven to succeed
People blink twice when they see a shiny, white stretch limo round the tight corners of St. Augustine's slim streets. And there is something anachronistic about the sleek machines passing horse drawn carriages or maneuvering around the brick roads.

Official capacity
In an area that already includes Allegro Retirement Community and Harbour Isle Apartment Homes, a new office park will soon call seven acres off State Road 312 East home.

Simplifying CPR may save lives
Here are highlights of the changes in CPR and emergency cardio-vascular-care guidelines by the American Heart Association.

Children at risk for respiratory virus
Parents of babies know they have to be concerned about the flu this winter. But another virus also strikes at this time of the year that can harm babies born prematurely or with long-term lung problems: respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

Flu shots available
The St. Johns County Health Department will now provide flu shots from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except during the lunch hour from noon to 1 p.m.

Actor Ray Walston dies
LOS ANGELES -- Tony and Emmy winner Ray Walston, best known for his role on ''My Favorite Martian,'' died Monday at the age of 86 at his home in Beverly Hills, according to his agent.

Manufacturing activity declines
NEW YORK -- U.S. manufacturing fell in December to its lowest level in nearly a decade, adding to the evidence of a weakening economy.

Stocks surge on interest rate cut
NEW YORK -- Wall Street dramatically turned optimistic after the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut Wednesday, giving the battered Nasdaq composite index its best day ever. The rate cut, the first really good news the depressed market has had in months, sent the Nasdaq and the Dow Jones industrials soaring more than 300 points apiece.

Textile exec leaves $400 million to charity
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- A wealthy textile executive who lived in a trailer behind his flagship plant has bequeathed nearly his entire $400 million estate to Furman University and various charities.

Second inmate freed
ANGOLA, La. -- A man convicted of killing an elderly couple 14 years ago was released Tuesday, joining his alleged accomplice in freedom after DNA tests pointed to their innocence.

Tribe that welcomed explorers recognized
WASHINGTON -- The American Indian tribe that welcomed the Lewis and Clark expedition to the mouth of the Columbia River won formal recognition Wednesday from the federal government.

Power-sharing divides evenly split 107th Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A day before the 107th Congress convenes, the two parties remained at loggerheads Tuesday over how to share power in a Senate split 50-50 for the first time ever. Republicans prepared to resume their reed-thin control of the House.

New Congress convenes
WASHINGTON -- The 107th Congress opened Wednesday with an optimistic blend of ceremony and speechmaking that bumped swiftly into the reality of a House and Senate narrowly divided along party lines. First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton joined the ranks of lawmakers who will govern alongside a new president.

N.H. lawmaker advocates killing cops
CONCORD, N.H. -- A newly elected Republican state lawmaker has enraged his constituents, party leaders and police by saying he favors killing police officers when they cross the line. One police chief calls him ''a hate-mongering lunatic.''

U.S. to press for trial of Slobodan Milosevic
WASHINGTON -- The Clinton administration, preparing for high-level talks with Yugoslavia's new government, will press for former President Slobodan Milosevic to be turned over to an international war crimes tribunal for trial, a senior official said Wednesday.

Medicare costs rising
WASHINGTON -- Medicare recipients will pay substantially more for health care in future years if no changes are made to the system, and those who are poorer, sicker and older will disproportionally absorb the rising costs, according to a study released Tuesday.

Wildfire burns houses, forces hundreds to flee
ALPINE, Calif. (AP) -- Carrying pets and precious mementos, hundreds of people fled a wind-driven wildfire that raced over more than 5,500 acres Wednesday, burning homes and raining ash on San Diego, 30 miles away.

Clinton struggles to convince Arafat on peace plan
WASHINGTON -- At a White House meeting Tuesday, President Clinton struggled to sell Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on the merits of an American compromise plan that U.S. officials contend is the last, best chance for a Middle East peace settlement before Clinton leaves office Jan. 20 -- and possibly for many years.

Cold-water fish gains endorsement
Many nutritionists are quick to recommend omega-3 fats found in cold-water fish such as salmon as a tasty and effective way to protect against cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association, uh, wholeheartedly endorsed the health bene

Skirmishes ahead for some Bush nominees
WASHINGTON -- President-elect Bush knows better than to expect smooth sailing for all his Cabinet nominees. Bruising confirmation battles have become a rite of passage for many presidential appointees -- and occasionally a road to ruin.

Bush completes Cabinet
AUSTIN, Texas -- Pres-ident-elect Bush plucked a Demo-crat from the Clinton administration to go with two conservative Republicans as he completed his Cabinet picks Tuesday, 2 1/2 weeks before his inauguration.

Dump site delays church's plans
The dreams of a new building for the congregation of Crescent Beach Baptist Church are on hold after the discovery of an old dump site on the property they want to buy from the county.

Charge against bus driver not related to crash
A St. Johns County school bus driver was arrested on a warrant from another county after her bus collided Tuesday with a sport utility vehicle at State Road 206 and Interstate 95, officials said.

Burglary
Someone broke into a hotel room in the 2400 block of State Road 16 Monday and stole a leather jacket, a backpack, clothes, a bag and cash. Total value stolen: $650.

Correction
- A map included with a story of the Osceola capture site in the Dec. 26 edition incorrectly identified Wildwood Drive as State Road 207. The photos used with the story are the property of the St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library.

Two students injured in bus crash
A Cherokee Laredo collided with a St. Johns County public school bus at Interstate 95 and State Road 206 Tuesday afternoon, sending two students and the passenger of the sport utility vehicle to the hospital.

Local bills deadline
Today at 5 p.m. is the last day for local bills to be filed with the St. Johns County Legislative Delegation.

Arrest made after high speed chase
A 27-year-old Green Cove Springs man was arrested on charges of aggravated fleeing and eluding after a sheriff's deputy chased a Honda several miles before the driver wrecked the car and ran.

Holiday cheer brought to pediatric unit
Members of the American Legion Post 37 brought a dose of Christmas cheer to the children in Flagler Hospital's Pediatrics Unit. Numerous stuffed animals and toys were delivered just in time for the holidays as part of a project sponsored by the Children and Youth Fund.

Lucile Smith
Funeral services for Lucile Eva Smith, 89, St. Augustine, who died Jan. 1, 2001, at the Ponce de Leon Care Center, will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at San Sebastian Catholic Church.

Shirley Cornell
Memorial services for Shirley Jenkins Cornell, 66, Hastings, who died Dec. 28, 2000, at her home, will be held at 11 a.m. today at Ancient City Baptist Church, with the Rev. David Rice, pastor, officiating.

Lamar Stratton
Funeral services for Lamar T. Stratton, 76, St. Augustine, who died Dec. 29, 2000, at his home, will be held at 11 a.m. today at the family home, Old Dixie Hwy.

Charles Blanchard
Memorial services for Charles David Blanchard, age 86 of St. Augustine, who died Dec. 30 at St. Augustine Health and Rehab Center, will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at Craig Funeral Home Chapel.

Letter: U.S. must act on global warming
Regarding the Kyoto Treaty and global warming: The short-sighted greed and inertia of our manufacturers is undermining the integrity of our capitalist system. One would expect them to have learned from what happened during the 1970s, when OPEC surprised us all by pulling the rug out from under our oil supplies. Our manufacturers kept on making gas guzzlers, allowing the Japanese to steal our car market by manufacturing fuel-efficient automobiles.

Have the Hollywood leftists left?
One of the things that decent Americans can look forward to in the coming year is the departure of the Hollywood leftists who said they would leave the country if George W. Bush was elected president.

Defining israel's annihilation
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak regrets that he has only one country to give for his political life. President Bill Clinton, still searching for a legacy that would be his if he had done something worthy of one, has so dishonored his own country he has no shame in dishonoring another one -- in this case Israel -- by helping Barak help Israel's enemies destroy the Jewish state.

Letter: Why are school vouchers so wrong?
Excellence and the proper guidance within the educational process of our nation's children are standards that must be achieved in order to maintain the nation's qualify of life for future generations, as traditionally experienced in our nation.

Editorial: Extra representation battle
The latest Census 2000 figures point to another two seats -- a total of 25 -- in the U.S. House of Representatives for Florida, which now has almost 16 million residents.

Lewis named top defender in NFL
BALTIMORE -- Ray Lewis fought for his life against murder charges, then became the most dynamic defender in the NFL as he led the Baltimore Ravens to the playoffs.

St. Joe player makes all-state team
St. Joseph defensive lineman Kenny Moore was named Class A third team all-state by the Associated Press. As a tight end, Moore caught 22 passes for 419 yards and seven touchdowns.

First-year schools making big strides
They've endured the expected beatings and absorbed punishment just like any first-year athletic programs. Good performances have been mirrored with poor ones, and promising strides replaced by negative steps.

Nease overcomes rough beginning
A pressing defense brought the Nease boys basketball team back from an early deficit, and a near triple-double from Chet Stachitas buried visiting Fletcher. Now comes the real test.

Nease girls get 10th victory
The Nease High School girls soccer team improved its record to 10-1 with a 3-1 victory Wednesday night over visiting Clay (8-2). Meredith Ringeisen scored all three goals for the Panthers. It was her sixth straight game with at least one goal. Nease visits Fletcher on Friday (7 p.m.).

Redskins bring in new coach
WASHINGTON -- Marty Schottenheimer didn't think he could co-exist with Dan Snyder. One meeting, a juicy title and lots of money changed his mind.

SAHS boys top Middleburg
The St. Augustine High School boys soccer team got three goals and an assist from Micah Clukey Wednesday night on its way to an 8-1 district victory

Wake Forest hands Virginia its first loss
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Darius Songaila was 11-of-12 from the field and scored a career-high 27 points to lead No. 4 Wake Forest to a 96-73 victory over No. 8 Virginia on Tuesday night in a matchup of unbeatens in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener.

NHL Roundup
UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Jose Theodore became just the sixth NHL goalie to score a goal in a regular-season game and stopped all 32 shots he faced as the Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Islanders 3-0 Tuesday night.

Utah's Majerus undergoes coronary angiography
SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah basketball coach Rick Majerus underwent a procedure Tuesday that successfully fixed two blocked arteries, further delaying his return from a knee injury that has sidelined him since November.

Cavs get Jackson from Hawks
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Jim Jackson returned to his basketball roots Tuesday when he was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks for point guard Brevin Knight.

Prep stars will speak to sports club
St. Augustine running back Marcus Jones and St. Joseph Academy defensive end Josh Alexander will be the guest speakers at Thursday's meeting of the St. Augustine-St. Johns County Sports Club.

Weinke has Heisman; Heupel going for title
MIAMI -- Moments after losing the Heisman Trophy, Josh Heupel shrugged and delivered a simple message to Oklahoma fans -- smile and get ready for an Orange Bowl victory.

Citrus growers keep a wary watch on cold
ORLANDO -- Citrus growers kept a wary watch on thermometers Tuesday, as forecasts called for another round of freezing temperatures across the upper half of Florida.

Suit claims diet aid was stroke cause
SANFORD (AP) -- A woman who had a stroke that left her partially paralyzed and suffering from short-term memory loss is blaming a weight-loss supplement in a lawsuit.

Teens charged
TAMPA -- Three teens were arrested after one of them shot another boy in the head and the other two helped the shooter drag the body out of a bedroom window and dump it in a wooded area, police said.

Disney attorneys to talk settlement
ORLANDO -- Disney lawyers will discuss a settlement with attorneys for two businessmen who won a $240 million verdict against the company after convincing jurors that Disney stole their idea for a sports complex.

Office Depot planning to close 70 stores
DELRAY BEACH -- Office Depot Inc., the world's largest seller of office supplies, announced Wednesday that it is closing 67 stores in the United States and three in Canada.

Tampa man arrested in plot to kill wife
TAMPA (AP) -- A man was charged Tuesday in a murder for hire plot that authorities say was aimed at keeping his wife from taking a million dollar business after their divorce.

Man wanted in slaying
JACKSONVILLE -- A 35-year-old man wanted for a 1989 Brockton, Mass., slaying has been arrested after state agents received a tip that he might be in the area.

Cambodia's legislature OKs Khmer Rouge tribunal
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia's legislature on Tuesday approved a tribunal to prosecute leftist Khmer Rouge leaders blamed for a genocide that killed an estimated 1.7 million people -- a fifth of Cambodia's people -- in the 1970s.

4 Americans die in plane crash
PENTICTON, British Columbia (AP) -- Searchers on snowmobiles located the wreckage of a missing small plane Tuesday, reporting that the four people aboard, all Americans, were killed in the weekend crash.

Survivor found two days after ship breaks up
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- For hours, Abukalam Ajad clutched a piece of wood and floated in the cold sea amid the severed hands and legs of other illegal immigrants killed when their ship split in two after hitting rocks off the Mediterranean shore.